I frequently find myself in positions with friends and family who know I am CCW and carrying and want to see what I am carrying. Most days, it is a semi-auto handgun with a firing pin safety and one is in the chamber. Showing it means drawing, dropping the magazine, opening the breach, locking it open, and catching the formerly chambered round before handing the freshly unloaded weapon over for inspection all while pointing in a safe direction. Once show and tell is over I have to insert the magazine, chamber a round, engage the safety, drop the magazine, reload the extra round, reinsert the magazine, while pointing in a safe direction and re-holster my weapon. This is a painfully safe process that I am growing tired of. Would it be rude to tell people I know that I'd rather not empty my weapon and hand it to them? I'm not afraid they'll take my weapon and shoot me with it or anything and I don't feel naked without it, I just don't hand loaded weapons to anyone because that was how I was trained and I am tired of properly preparing it for others to look at. Any thoughts?

I have handed cops my loaded firearm when I have informed them of carrying....I understood what you were saying and agree; I still always verbally tell the person(usually teice: "Its loaded".) I think that is subconscience; I'm not really expecting the person to point and pull the trigger but you never know...

I frequently find myself in positions with friends and family who know I am CCW and carrying and want to see what I am carrying. Most days, it is a semi-auto handgun with a firing pin safety and one is in the chamber. Showing it means drawing, dropping the magazine, opening the breach, locking it open, and catching the formerly chambered round before handing the freshly unloaded weapon over for inspection all while pointing in a safe direction. Once show and tell is over I have to insert the magazine, chamber a round, engage the safety, drop the magazine, reload the extra round, reinsert the magazine, while pointing in a safe direction and re-holster my weapon. This is a painfully safe process that I am growing tired of. Would it be rude to tell people I know that I'd rather not empty my weapon and hand it to them? I'm not afraid they'll take my weapon and shoot me with it or anything and I don't feel naked without it, I just don't hand loaded weapons to anyone because that was how I was trained and I am tired of properly preparing it for others to look at. Any thoughts?

They don't need to see it or hold it. My step brother asks to see my gun sometimes and I just tell him he doesn't need to see it again. If you feel you have to let them see it, never hand anyone a loaded weapon.

In fact, never hand anyone a weapon, set it down and let them pick it up. I was taught that by my SCARS instructor.

I frequently find myself in positions with friends and family who know I am CCW and carrying and want to see what I am carrying. Most days, it is a semi-auto handgun with a firing pin safety and one is in the chamber. Showing it means drawing, dropping the magazine, opening the breach, locking it open, and catching the formerly chambered round before handing the freshly unloaded weapon over for inspection all while pointing in a safe direction. Once show and tell is over I have to insert the magazine, chamber a round, engage the safety, drop the magazine, reload the extra round, reinsert the magazine, while pointing in a safe direction and re-holster my weapon. This is a painfully safe process that I am growing tired of. Would it be rude to tell people I know that I'd rather not empty my weapon and hand it to them? I'm not afraid they'll take my weapon and shoot me with it or anything and I don't feel naked without it, I just don't hand loaded weapons to anyone because that was how I was trained and I am tired of properly preparing it for others to look at. Any thoughts?

Thoughts? Yes.

Why do all these people need to know that you are carrying? And if they do know they need to understand that it's not a game. It is on you to explain that to them.

Learn to say NO. Your gun is not for show and tell. It should not be open for discussion.

The fact that you asked this question and go thru the actions you describe (even while showing safe gun handling) to display your weapon upon request tells me that you probably aren't ready to EDC.

EDC is a huge responsibility and requires maturity of thought and action.

For what it's worth, I do try to let very few people know that I carry. It;s the smart thing to do for several reasons.

However, I probably wouldn't be carrying if it weren't for the fact that several people shared with me that they carry. I just didn't think it was socially acceptable, until I realized half the guys I worked with were carrying.

I stopped by the Gunsmith to talk to him about sights and some other work for my Delta Elite. As usual I was carrying in condition 1 and had planned to drop the pistol off Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately the gunsmith was leaving town the next day so I had to drop the pistol off then or wait 6 weeks until I got home from work. Before I pulled the pistol I told him that I had the pistol and was going to pull it out. As soon as I pulled the pistol I ejected the magazine and cleared the round from the chamber before handing it to him. Everything worked about great and nobody got unnecessarily excited.

I've had dealings with both state troopers and federal game wardens and I've never had to be told to put down my weapon. I was out shooting my shotgun one night trying out my under barrel light and the trooper pulled up to make sure I wasn't spotlighting moose. As soon as I realized it was a trooper I placed the shotgun on the hood of my truck and walked over to talk to him. The trooper didn't even get out of his truck. With the game warden I was taking aim on a decoy bird when I heard him yelling from the woods across the road. As soon as he came out of the woods and I recognized who he was I went and put my rifle back in the truck before I talked to him. He checked my hunting license and sent me on my way.

Im always preaching caution and avoidance, but Im really sure I would have done the same thing..I'd much rather defend those actions and words, than having it explained to my kids that I had a gun, but chose not to use it..

Can't Cure Stupid, but they also carry......Good work on a proper response

I would never try to second guess another man. Events happen quickly and we make those kind of judgments in seconds based on everything triggering our senses. I don't know what the neighborhood is like or its recent history. I don't know the 'vibe' the man gave off. We are reading the account of one man, after the event. If a shooting had occured, its likely that a jury would have to take hours and be presented with a lot of evidence before anything could be determined.

For what it's worth, I do try to let very few people know that I carry. It;s the smart thing to do for several reasons.

However, I probably wouldn't be carrying if it weren't for the fact that several people shared with me that they carry. I just didn't think it was socially acceptable, until I realized half the guys I worked with were carrying." - wayneinFL

I've only had one family member ask to see what I was carrying - a 16 yr old nephew. I cleared and then showed him my 1911.

IMO it would be nice if more of my extended family showed an interest - especially the adults, who all know I carry (talk among themselves over the years, I suppose). I wish they all had CCWs and carried concealed.

P.S. - - well actually I just recalled that recently one adult relative asked me about concealed carry - (but not to see my handgun) - so maybe the situation is improving

Notifying someone who does not know you that you are about to pull out a weapon before you do should foll under general politeness in my opinion. =Not to mention the safety issue. But maybe I'm old fashion.

This email link is to reach site administrators for assistance, if you cannot access TFL via other means. If you are a TFL member and can access TFL, please do not use this link; instead, use the forums (like Questions, Suggestions, and Tech Support) or PM an appropriate mod or admin.

If you are experiencing difficulties posting in the Buy/Sell/Trade subforums of TFL, please read the "sticky" announcement threads at the top of the applicable subforum. If you still feel you are qualified to post in those subforums, please contact "Shane Tuttle" (the mod for that portion of TFL) via Private Message for assistance.

This email contact address is not an "Ask the Firearms Expert" service. Such emails will be ignored. If you have a firearm related question, please register and post it on the forums.